Dick Togo

For the politician, see Shigeki Sato (politician).
Dick Togo

Dick Togo in April 2011.
Birth name Shigeki Sato
Born (1969-08-17) August 17, 1969
Odate, Akita, Japan
Residence Vietnam[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Dickmoto
Dick Sato
Dick Togo
Francesco Togo
Francis Togo
Gantetsu
Kintaro Inferno
Ninja Warrior
Prince Togo
Rushi Togo
Sato
El Tigre de Tokyo
Billed height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Billed weight 97 kg (214 lb)
Trained by Gran Hamada
Debut June 5, 1991
Retired September 9, 2012[2][3]

Shigeki Sato (佐藤 茂樹 Satō Shigeki) (born August 17, 1969) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Dick Togo (ディック 東郷 Dikku Tōgō).

Professional wrestling career

Sato has performed for numerous Japanese promotions as well as American promotions such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Ring of Honor. While in Michinoku Pro[4] he formed a stable called Kai En Tai DX with Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Men's Teioh and Shiryu.

He was briefly a member of The Blue World Order in Extreme Championship Wrestling. Throughout his career, Togo has been a part of several stables in the Japanese independent circuit: the original "Kaientai" in Michinoku Pro Wrestling with Taka, Shiryu, and; "LOV (Legion of Violence)" in Osaka Pro Wrestling, with Black Buffalo and Daioh Quallt (Masaru Seno), the "Far East Connection" with Gedo, Jado, Masao Orihara, and Ikuto Hidaka as a freelancer stable; and now the "Super Crew", with Hayate, Tsubo Genjin, Nobutaka Moribe and Osamu Inoue.

Togo, The Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki at Chikara King of Trios in April 2011.

In early 2011 Togo announced the start of his retirement tour as part of which he returned to the United States in April to take part in Chikara's 2011 King of Trios tournament, where he would team with The Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki as Team Michinoku Pro. On April 15, Team Michinoku Pro defeated Team Minnesota (1-2-3 Kid, Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin) in their first round match and followed that up by defeating Jigsaw, Manami Toyota and Mike Quackenbush in the following day's quarterfinals.[5][6] On April 17, Team Michinoku Pro was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinal stage by F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Johnny Gargano).[7]

Dramatic Dream Team held the Dick Togo Japanese Retirement Show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on June 30, 2011. In the main event Togo defeated Gedo in his final match in Japan.[8] Afterwards he embarked on a retirement world tour, wrestling in countries such as Australia,[9] Finland,[10] Germany,[11] Belgium,[12][13] England,[14] Spain,[15] and Italy.[16] On December 3, Togo returned to the United States for the final leg of his tour,[17] losing to KUDO in a three-way match, which also included Masahiro Takanashi at Combat Zone Wrestling's (CZW) Indie Summit event.[18] On December 10, Togo wrestled for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) in Reseda, Los Angeles, losing to PWG World Champion El Generico in a non-title match.[19] On January 1, 2012, Togo returned to Mexico, wrestling at an independent event in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, where he, El Alebrije and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner, Jr. defeated Golden Bull, Histeria II and Puma in a six-man tag team match.[20] The following July, Togo took his retirement tour to Bolivia.[21] While working in Bolivia, Togo found his way back into a DDT storyline, when Yuki Sato arrived in the country with the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, which he then proceeded to lose to Togo.[22] During the following week, Togo first lost the title to local wrestler Ajayu, before regaining it from a Bolivian child and then finally losing it back to Sato.[22] Togo finished his retirement tour on September 9, 2012, in La Paz, Bolivia. In the final match of his career, Togo teamed with Antonio Honda, Daisuke Sasaki and Yasu Urano in an eight-man elimination tag team match, where they were defeated by Ajayu, Apocalipsis, Guerrero Ayar and Halcon Dorado, with Ajayu pinning Togo for the win.[2][3]

On May 29, 2015, Togo announced he was opening a wrestling school in Vietnam, named Vietnam Pro-Wrestling Academy. The school is affiliated with Vietnam's first professional wrestling promotion, New Vietnam Prowrestling (NVP), which holds its first event in August 2015.[23]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ "【春日部リポート】テレ玉の番組名は『DDTプロレス中継さいたまースラム！』。4月2日より毎週水曜日深夜26時30分～27時にオンエア!!／Kudo&高梨&坂口のユニット名は酒呑童子に決定。初陣のメインは…／ディーノ、埼玉ゲイレスリング化計画をブチ上げる". Dramatic Dream Team (in Japanese). 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  2. 1 2 "Dick Togo se despidió de Bolivia con lágrimas en los ojos". Lucha Libre Boliviana (in Spanish). 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  3. 1 2 ボリビアの地に沈む…ディック東郷引退試合興行詳報. Dramatic Dream Team (in Japanese). 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
  4. ↑ "Val Venis talks wrestling again and politics". CANOE. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  5. ↑ Radican, Sean (2011-05-04). "Radican's Chikara KoT Night 1 DVD Review 4/15 - Team Michinoku Pro vs. Team 1-2-3 Kid, Quackenbush & Toyota & Jigsaw vs. SAT's". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  6. ↑ Radican, Sean (2011-05-13). "Radican's Chikara DVD review series - "King of Trios 2011 Night 2" 4/16: F.I.S.T. vs. Osaka Pro, RDV tournament, Quackenbush & Toyota & Jigsaw vs. Michinoku Pro". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  7. ↑ Radican, Sean (2011-06-05). "Radican's Chikara DVD review series: "KOT 2011: Night 3 4/17 - Kid vs. Generico, Toyota vs. Eagles, KOT tournament Finals". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  8. ↑ "Dick Togo retires against New Japan’s Gedo". Strong Style Spirit. 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  9. ↑ "Results for BBBII feat. Dick Togo (JPN) vs Robby Heart (AUS)". NWA Australia. 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  10. ↑ "Kristian Kurki vastaan Dick Togo DOMination 3:ssa.". Fight Club Finland (in Finnish). 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  11. ↑ "wXw & CZW & BJW in Deutschland - 30.9. - 3.10. - Results". Westside Xtreme Wrestling (in German). 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  12. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ3l1crvsk
  13. ↑ Martin, Adam (2011-10-15). "Indy News #2: Dick Togo, NWA Smoky Mountain". WrestleView. Retrieved 2011-10-25.
  14. ↑ "4FW Halloween Spectacular 2011". 4 Front Wrestling. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  15. ↑ RealMiguel (2011-11-06). "Super Wrestling Alliance (6/11/2011) desde el City Hall de Barcelona. ¡Dick Togo se despide!". SuperLuchas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  16. ↑ Milani, Emmanuele (2011-11-13). "ICW Pandemonium X: è già Leggenda! Tutti i risultati!". Italian Championship Wrestling (in Italian). Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  17. ↑ Wood, Darren (2011-11-04). "After 20 years, Dick Togo calling it quits". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  18. ↑ Magee, Bob (2011-12-05). "As I See It 12/5: Cage of Death 13 weekend". WrestleView. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  19. ↑ Massingham, Matt (2011-12-11). "12/10 PWG "Fear" results Reseda, Calif.: Hero surprise return, new PWG tag champs, Generico vs. Dick Togo, American Wolves". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  20. ↑ Lázaro Rodríguez, José (2012-01-02). "Oriental pierde la cabellera por el Tirantes". The Gladiatores (in Spanish). Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  21. ↑ "Dick Togo en Bolivia - 2012". Lucha Libre Boliviana (in Spanish). 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2012-07-05.
  22. 1 2 3 "Ironman Heavymetalweight Title". Puroresu Dojo. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
  23. ↑ 【記者会見】ベトナム初のプロレス団体「New Vietnam Prowrestling」設立、現地でディック東郷氏のプロレススクールも開校。「プロレス文化のない国でプロレスをやってみたい」（東郷）. Dramatic Dream Team (in Japanese). 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Dick Togo profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Profile at Puroresu Central". Puroresu Central. Retrieved 2014-09-21.
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